Sunday, April 12, 2020

South Korea Attractions - Spring 2019

This MCO has certainly changed & pushed me so much until I finished clearing the storage area in my home. That's because I am too free now! I opened the many boxes again after 5 years to see the tons of family albums left behind by my late parents and found assorted pieces of precious antiques. Next, I peeped into my phone and was horrified to see over 2000 photos which I took in South Korea, Belitung and others. They are growing cob webs in my phone.


I visited South Korea exactly one year ago in April 2019 for the reunion of my US College friends. I flew there alone for 8 days and only posted 2 times in my blog!! ~Faints~

If you wish to see them, just click here.... |  Part 1  |  Part 2   |

Let me post them all today onward and I shall start first with the Museum and Night Market.





In every country I visited, I must look for their historical museums. That would feed my hunger to study and understand about their country's interesting pasts that helped to shape them up today. I stayed at a hotel in the happening Myeongdong area and took a cab to the National Museum of Korea which is about 20 minutes away in Yongsan-gu. The Yongsan Subway Station is 1.5km away from the museum. Address: 137 Seobinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu, South Korea. The admission in Free.




It was early Spring and the temperature was still winter-like and windy. I loved walking everywhere and admire all the seasonal flowers which we do not have them in Malaysia.




The museum is a very huge modern building with over 15,000 pieces of ancient artifacts being displayed over 6 floors. This photo of the "movie star" was taken outside by the landscaped lake. Does it look like me?? Ahem...




I will not bore you with too many old stuffs. So what is this funny obscene shaped earthen jars? They were the Jar Coffins of Influential People during the 4th and 5th centuries which were buried at the Yeongsangang River Basin in Korea.




I was speechless when I saw this ancient warrior in the high-ranking armor suit. I had a terrible nightmare many years ago that I lived in the Shilla Dynasty of old Korea and fought the fiercest war during those ancient times. I was stabbed by the enemy and died in the battle field with tears in my eyes. I woke up on my bed in KL with real tears wetting my whole pillow. I found it too vivid, surreal and unbelievable to have that gory dream and decided to text my Korean friend living in Bangkok. He replied me that day was actually the 'Korean All Souls Day' where the folks would all pray diligently for their departed ancestors... Hmmm maybe my descendants had prayed for me too. How nice!




This ancient 10-stories pagoda looked majestic with unique architecture and was unearthed from Gyeongcheongsa during the reign of King Chungmok (Year 1348).




I proceeded to the famous street market in Seoul which is located beside this Namdaemun Arch's landmark.




They have several entrances to enter/exit the Namdaemun Market area with these prominently numbered signs to guide visitors. They have very good and efficient town planning in South Korea with adequate signs everywhere. I was never lost in this big city.




Honestly, I loved the street market that spans several roads within the Namdaemun area. "Mun" means gate in Korean language. There's so much to see and so much to buy. Look at all the pretty dolls!



The crowd were all eyes at this stall selling something weird to me. I could not tell whether the seller was peeling fruits, cakes or sea monsters.



Does it look like Dragon Fruit???





OMG! Look at the customers slurping away the sea urchins in dip sauces with raw blood oozing from their bloody mouths. Yiaakss! My hair stood up and I disappeared into thin air.




Look at that male seller in female drag calling all the ajunma aunties! I joined them to browse and was stunned to see the unbelievably cheap pants and blouses. 




The variety of food in skewers were tempting to try. They looked like Chinese seafood skewers but the marinated taste was different here in Korea. You must try it.




I almost bought the male boxer underwear with the Korean currency print. I decided not to as it doesn't look respectful to the famous Lady Shin Saimdang by wearing it to sleep or toilet.





I was hungry and went to hunt for famous food after watching so many Korean Variety shows! I knew what I was looking for and walked into the narrow alleys inside their market within the Namdaemun vicinity. I made a zig zag walk alone and scanned all the hanging menus on displays. Aha!!! I found it!!



When you visit Korea, hopefully in around Winter or after, you must try their seasonal Pollack Fish! I heard the K-Pop stars raved and bragged about eating pollack fish cooked in spicy Kimchi Stew. I thought they were over rated but I was so wrong. 



Sedap Giler! The fish tasted superb and tender with hints of natural fish oil which was cooked in Kimchi Jigae broth with the traditional spices of Korea. I ate them all until my metal bowl was clean enough to see my own face. Don't be confused by the words Pollock and Pollack fishes which look similar but they are caught from different parts of the Pacific Ocean during certain seasons only. They are prized fishes in Korean cuisine. I totally forgot the price as it was one year ago.




Feeling happy and satisfied for a day well spent at the museum and Namdaemun market with a sumptuous Pollack Fish meal, I took a cab back to my hotel. The Korean driver was friendly and tried to chat with me. I only understood a little Korean language which I picked up during my days staying with the Korean students in the US boarding school. The driver was very happy that Spring has arrived in Seoul with lots of flowers everywhere.




The taxi stopped at the square when the traffic lights turned red. The driver lowered my tinted window and smiled at me happily. He gestured me to snap a photo of the beautiful flowers on the boulevards as a memory to bring home. 



****




20 comments:

  1. I want to cry when i see this post of yours. I miss traveling and dining out lah. I went to korea during their winter in 2002. That movie star is jang dong gun right? Lolx. How many times have you visited korea?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can travel again once the pandemic lockdown is over but it could take a long time.

      That photo was me. Maybe you are pulling my legs.

      I have only visited Korea twice. The first trip was by tour because we went to ski in the mountains. That trip was posted in my blog's side bar.

      Delete
  2. When i went to korea in 2002, the korean drama craze just started. We also went to namdaemun and dongdaemun too. I missed their bbq pork belly with rice. We also had their ginseng chicken soup. Did you go to their lotte world and everland? Their youngsters are polite but their older generation are rough and rude, maybe because they are farmers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The tour on my first trip brought us to Lotte World only. It was a suitable place indoors as it was snowing outside in Winter.

      I think all the Koreans can be polite but their language is a bit rough which took me sometime to understand & accept because I shared the same bedroom with a Korean student. He came from a very wealthy family and really opened my eyes about their culture. In my coming blog posts, I will share photos of him taken in Busan. Stay tuned.

      Delete
  3. Noticed that you had changed the colour of your blog template, nice refreshing green colour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The long MCO is driving me bored and I even need to re-arrange my house furniture to keep my mind sane! Lol.
      So I will keep changing my blog colours too.

      Delete
  4. U didn't try the sea urchin creamy insides? Sold very expensive here in Japanese restaurants so should have tried.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I might have tried if served on the plate in the Japanese restaurant. The way it was piled up on the road side and made me guess for 10 minutes what it was. It really made my stomach turn inside.

      Delete
  5. Yes, please write more blog posts to keep feeling happy during mco. stay safe! perhaps write some insightful n personal posts on why you and your wife chose to be child free by it us by choice. Sorry I mention it if it is a too personal subject. Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am afraid my blog factory cannot run in full operations like yours, Phong Hong and others. Mine is snail paced.

      Hey, I am no family planning guru to offer any advice. Perhaps you can share your own childless topic. ~ Giggles ~

      Delete
  6. Those sea urchins really do look like an exotic fruit or root. I would have tried it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's really you William. There is nothing you would not put in your mouth! Salutes!

      Delete
  7. I also prefer to stay in Myeongdong area whenever I visited South Korea. Cause many things to shop there, regardless day and night. However when comes to historical museums, it's always NAY for me. But I can see that you are enjoying visit their historical museum which it shows that it's not boring as I thought.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is funny that you love to visit all the European countries with ancient architectures. Just that you Nay at their old antiques kept inside which were displayed prominently inside museums. LOLOL

      My friends who disliked antiques would prefer to visit modern countries like Tokyo and New York City.

      Delete
  8. I remember that post last year. You and your friends' reunion in Korea.

    Beautiful time in Korea. Spring!! I would love to visit Korea again, maybe Spring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you can visit South Korea again someday. There are too many exotic places I have not covered.

      Delete
  9. Good! Good! Please work on all your drafts and post for us to read. I hope to visit Korea someday. I'm afraid that I am not so interested in museums. Some of those ancient things can be quite creepy. I prefer going to see the scenic areas. And of course food would be on my agenda.

    About your nightmare, maybe in your past life you were a Korean? Oh, raw sea urchins sold like that it stalls. I am curious how it tastes but to eat like that in open air, feel geli. It is expensive, I saw on the Rakuzen menu but dare not order. Those food skewers I would definitely try. The kimchi jigae with fish that you ate is making my mouth water! After MCO I will go and try kimchi jigae. Those flowers in the last photo are so lovely. Look like Bougainvillea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have been making tons of money but you hardly travels. Japan and South Korea are waiting for you. Time and Tide Waits for no man.

      Got temple masters who told me that my past lives included Korea, Japan and others. I must be a very old soul. Next life I better not be born in Malaysia lah.

      I am vary and cautious when eating street food. If they are boiled, grilled or fried in woks, I would not hesitate to eat. That stall was selling raw seafood in the open air. I am sure all that customers went home with severe diarrhea and vomiting! Muahahahahahaha

      There were many pink colours around Seoul and looked like Bougainvillea but they had thicker petals which looked like Camellia family. Beautiful.

      Delete
  10. I have never seen a sea pineapple in my life until I read this post. How exciting, TM! I will not try it either if it is served this way ..lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't even know that they are called Sea Pineapple! They looked like grenade to me. LOLOL

      I googled it and they are originated from South Korea indeed~!!!

      Delete

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